A serial Fife abuser dragged one of his girlfriends down a flight of stairs while she was pregnant and got angry when another partner drank full fat cola.
Robert Montgomery, from Kirkcaldy, subjected four exes to his controlling behaviour and carried out assaults on three of them.
The 41-year-old appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to plead guilty to nine offences, which took place at various addresses in Fife over a period spanning a decade.
He was warned he faces a “substantial” chance of being locked up.
Fife abuser pulled partner down stairs while pregnant
Montgomery assaulted one woman on various occasions between February 1 and July 31 2011 and behaved in a threatening or abusive manner towards her.
Prosecutor Ronnie Hay told the court the woman was seven weeks pregnant when she returned home to find Montgomery lying on a bed and under the influence of alcohol, which annoyed her as they had made plans.
Montgomery then drew his knees up and “kicked her full force to the leg” before telling her to “p*** off,” the fiscal said.
Another time – when she was six months pregnant – he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her down a flight of 12 to 13 stairs.
She was later checked over by staff at the maternity hospital who advised the baby’s heartbeat was slow but steady.
Montgomery also banged doors, several of which she had to replace, and punched the fridge freezer.
The court heard that Montgomery became annoyed at one ex after learning the gender of her unborn baby.
He then called her “useless and stupid” and punched a van windscreen, causing the glass to shatter.
Mobile phone attacks
On various times between October 1 2013 and September 30 2015, Montgomery assaulted a second partner and behaved in a threatening or abusive manner towards her.
The fiscal depute said on one occasion after an argument a mildly intoxicated Montgomery struck the woman to the mouth with the back of his hand, causing her lips to bleed.
Later, while looking in the mirror, she noticed one of her teeth was loose.
The court heard that Montgomery once became angry and shouted at her when a male work colleague sent her a text.
The fiscal depute said: “The accused would become angry at her drinking full fat Coca Cola and told her she was looking fat and heavy.
“She consistently felt not perfect enough.
“If he became angry, he would punch holes in plasterboard.
“He would rip her clothing or damage mobile phones”.
The woman estimated she had gone through about 20 phones during their relationship.
Mr Hay said Montgomery threw a mobile phone at her on one occasion, causing a black eye.
Dragged victim by the hair
Between June 1 2017 and December 25 2018, Montgomery carried out assaults on a third woman and directed abuse towards her.
On one occasion he kicked a car door and caused it to strike her on the chin, leaving a small cut, following an argument about how long she had been away to get food.
In August 2017 he accused her of looking at his friend, then lifted a metal ashtray and threw it towards her, striking a radiator.
The fiscal depute said: “He dragged (the woman’s) hair and began dragging her from where she was crouching and her hair began to come away in clumps and she was screaming for him to stop hitting her.”
Afterwards, Montgomery apologised for his behaviour and promised it would never happen again.
But later that year, the pair argued over a trivial matter and, without warning, Montgomery lashed out and struck the woman to the face, leaving a cut over her left eyebrow.
He later “flung” her mobile phone out of a parked van window after she told him she was ending the relationship.
A neighbour then looked out their window and saw him smack the woman’s head off the passenger window.
The court heard that Montgomery also spat at the woman during an argument while he was driving to Kirkcaldy.
On another occasion he made derogatory remarks to her and called her fat.
Abuser told woman to ‘train harder’
Montgomery, of Winifred Street, engaged in a course of abusive behaviour towards a fourth woman between December 25 2020 and February 28 2021.
He made offensive remarks to her, derogatory comments about her appearance, accused her of infidelity, accessed her phone without permission and sent her offensive texts.
The fiscal depute said the woman noticed him becoming more controlling, including telling her she was only posting photos on social media for male attention.
Mr Hay said: “The accused began to chip away at her, making comments about her hair, stomach muscles, complexion, and told her to train harder so they could be the perfect couple”.
When she ended the relationship he texted her stating she was fat and “her body was yuck”.
Montgomery also previously admitted a charge of breaching bail by contacting one of the women.
‘Open mind’ on sentencing
Defence lawyer Dewar Spence said Montgomery is currently unemployed and spends his time caring for his mother, who has fallen into significant poor health and relies on his care.
The solicitor said his client is fully aware of the likely outcome unless he produces exemplary reports.
Mr Spence also stressed his client has avoided witnesses coming to court to give evidence by resolving the case with a guilty plea.
Sheriff Robert More deferred sentencing until March 22 and Montgomery’s bail was continued meantime.
The sheriff warned that the likelihood of a prison sentence is “substantial” but that he would “keep an open mind”.
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